Apparatus for treating cinematographic films



Feb. 13, 19-23. 1,444,818

W. B. WESCOTT APPARATUS FOR TREATING CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS Filed Dec. v, 1917 [4.4mm et 1 Q zy zdzm Feb. 13, 1923. 1,444,818

W. B. WESC OTT APPARATUS FOR TREATING CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS ts-sheet 2 fizz/e2 wan? Feb. 13, 1923. 1,444,818

W. B. WESCOTT APPARA'TUS FOR TREATING CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS Fil ed Dec. 7, 1917 4 sheets-sheet 5 liwent an' Mam/B aka/0322 9' I/ZZZOWZZQQS,

Feb. 13, 1923. w. B. wEscoTT Par-ems Feb. 13;, 1923.

lit L ATE} T OFH WILLI M BU TON WESCOTT, or WELLEsLnY; mnssncnusn'r'rs, ASSIGNOB, Bit MEsNn ASSIGNMENTS," mo TECHNICOLOB.MOTIO1\T PICTURE CORPORATION, OF BOSTON,

MASSACEUQETT S, A COQPORATIQN OF MAINE.

' ArrAnA'rus FOR TREATING CINEMATOGRAPHIC rILMs.

Application filed December .7, 1917. Serial 170,205,999.

To all whom it concern:

' Be it known that I, WILLIAM BURTON WESCOTT, a citizen-of the United States, and

resident of 'Wellesley, in the county of Nor- -5 folk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating cinematographic Films, of which the following ;is a specification.. p v

This invention relates to a photographic method and apparatus and more particularly to a method and'apparatus for developing, fixing, drying or otherwise treatingtions, This method is-exceedingly awkward" and unsatisfactory in treating long lengths of films, and it has long been recogn zed that some means for conveniently and rapidly treatingfilms would greatly facilitate the manufacture and treatment of films. Various types'of apparatus for continuously feeding -filmsthroughthe developing and other solutions have been proposed,'. but for various reasons they. have :not been practical and they have therefore notcome into .com-' 'mercial use. w; y J

' It is the object of the presentfinvention to provide a method and means for continuously treating any desired length of film or other strip of photographic material,; to.

render the treatment rapid and accurate and so to manipulate the film that it is in no wiseinjured or mutilated. in the various stages 0 of the treatment. Other objects of the invention are so to handle the" film throughout the processes of treatment that the emulsion" Side of the film .will not come into'C0I i' 1 with the parts of the apparatus along whi h it moves, to provide auniform tension for;

the film throughout its entire length, to pro-. vide' means for conveniently regulating the!- tension of the. film, tojprovidemeans for of treatment and otherwise 'to render. the

machine convenient and'reliable.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view .of the apparatus,

parts of the apparatus being omitted; Y

Figure '1 is a left-hand view I of the t el ing apparatus;

:Figure 2 1s a front elevation of the right- 4 v hand portion of the developing apparatus;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the developing apparatustaken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;; and a Figure 4 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the developingapparatus taken on line 44; of Fig. 3

The particular embodiment of my invention illustrated in thedrawings comprises developing apparatus A consistin of a series of tanks or containers C, D, F and G, the. tank C being intended to contain a developing solution, the container D a water or. other washing solution,. E a fixing soluthe apparatus down to a minimum.. To this the containers so that a film may be fed fcontinuouslyover and around the pulleys along each tank and from one tank'to the succeeding tank, I have also so arranged the feed end I have'provided a series of guides, which are preferably pulleys, in and along" each of 2 ing mechanism that the tanks may be arranged side 'by side instead. offlend to,end,

pact. As 'shown in Figs. '1. to 3, the respective rows of tanks are spaced apart.

- somewhat and are tied together by means of channel members 1-- at their upper ends and each tank is preferably provided 'Wlljh The. mechanism of odiiei ously feeding fa filirrjthrough' the apparatus preferably consist's' of'ai row of pulls. s13 fixedly' mounted on a' sh'af t 'extendin' ongitudinallyof the container, either att e top or'bottom of each tanks from distorting the- .85 "thereby rendering the apparatus more com container but preferably atthe top as shown 45 mounted at the other end of each container,

7 v Q inthe drawings, and another row of pulleys. quickly and accurately regulatingthe time preferably at the bottom of each container, I

j as illustrated! The pulleys 4 in the lower rows are preferably disposed obliquelywlth respect to the pulleys in the upper row and the two rows are'preferably arranged in parallelism. As shown in the drawings, the up per pulleys '3 are disposed transversely of the respective containers and the lower pulleys are disposed at an angle of approxi= mately 45 to the transverse plane of the upper pulleys. The pulleys of the respective rows 3 and 4 are so spaced apart and so positioned relatively to each other that one side of each of the lower pulleys is in alinement with one side of one of the upper pulleys while the other side of the lower pulley is in alinement with the other side of the adjacent upperpulley. In Fig. 3 for example, the forward side of the pulley 7 is in alinement with the forward side of the pulley 8, while the rear side of pulley 7 is in alinement with the rear side of thepulley 9. By virtue of this arrangement a film leaving the forward side of one of the upper, pulleys extends directlydownwardly to the forward side of one of the lower pulleys and from the rear side of the lower pulley the film extends directly upwardly to the rear side of the adjacent upper pulley,'\vherebv a film may be continuously fed through a tank from end to end along a looped path. the film being maintained out of contact with the walls of the tank and the various portions of the film being also maintained outof contact with each other.

The means for transferring the film from one tank to the succeeding tank preferably comprises pulleys such as 11, 13, etc. disposed above the partitions between the respective tanks in oblique relationship to the partitions. For example, the pulleys 11 for transferring the film from the developing tank C to the wash tank D is mounted by means of brackets 14 directly above the adjoining end walls of the tank C and D in ap proximately perpendicular relationship to the planes of the lower-pulleys 16 and 17 in the respective tanks (Fig. 1), the rear side of pulley 11 being in alinement with the rear side of the lower end pulley 16 in the developing tank C, and the forward side of the pulley 11 being directly in alinement with the forward side of pulley 17 in the wash tank D. The row of upper pulleys 3 in'the developing tank D' are preferably disposed somewhat below the level 18 of the developer in the tank so that the film is completely immersed during its entire travel through the tank. The upper row of pulleys in the fixing tank E, however, are preferably mounted above the tank so that the film passes out of the liquid during its course around the upper end of each of the looped ends of its path through the tank. In the wash tank F and in the drying tank G the upper rows 1 of pulleys are preferably disposedabove the tops of the respective tanks in the horizontal plane of the top row of 1 pulleys in tank E.

In order to control the degree of developsides of the frame 21 are provided'lugs 23 having openings adapted to receive the upright guide rods 24. At the top of the developing tank is provided a pinion 26 1n mesh with the rack 22 and a hand wheel (Fig. 1), or other suitable means is connected to'the pinion through the medium of a horizontal shaft 27 for reciprocating the pulleys 16 and 19 through thevmedlum of the rack 22, the frame 21 sliding vertically on the guides 24. Inasmuch as the sides of the lower pulleys are in alinement with the sides of the upper pulleys, owing to the oblique disposition of the lower pulleys, the pulleys 19 may be raised any desired extent without causing the film to tend to run off the pulleys. By virtue of the adjustable pulleys 16 and 19, the length of the path through the developing tank may be varied and the degree of development thus controlled without varying the velocity of film' travel, it being desirable to maintain the film travel substantially constant so that the treatment in the washing. fixing. and drying tanks will be of sufficiently long duration.

s In order to propel the film through the series of tanks the pulleys in each of the upper rows are preferably fixedly connected to their respective shafts. while the lower pulleys preferably run idly. The upper shaft 28 in the developing tank is connected to the source of power 29 through the medium of a worm 31, a worm 1 gear 32, a chain 33.. sprocket wheels 34, shaft 30, chain 36 and sprocket wheels 37. The upper shaft 38 1n the wash tank F is connected to the shaft 30 through the medium of a chain 39 and sprocket wheels on the respective shafts The upper row of pulleys on shaft .42 in tank E are driven from shaft 38 by'meansof a chain 41 and sprocketwheels on the wheels mounted respectively on shafts 30 y and 43.

While the film may be fed overthe pulleys in such manner as itself to drive the" idler' pulleys obliquely disposed in the bottom of the tanks, I-prefe-rably provide one or more belts or cables for positively driving the loweridler pulleys from the upper pulleys and for other 'reasonsvhereinafter made ap-.

parent. The preferred form of the driving means comprises endle'ss belts in the form of cables 45 extending around the pulleys 1n .the upper and lpwer rows, these belts preferably being disposed in grooves 46 disposed at one or preferably both of the eripheries of the pulleys. In order to guide the belts 45 from the end of the drying tank to the beginning of the developing tank,

guide pulleys 47 48 and 49 are mounted at" the top ofthe apparatus along the line extending between the said two ends.

Thus the wires 45 pass downwardly over around 'theupper and lower rows of pulleys Q in the developing tank, travelling along the loop path from one end to the other, passing downwardly on the'forward sides of the upper pulleys and upwardly on the rear sides of the'lower pulleys. From the right-hand end pulley 16 of the lower row the. wires travel'upwardly over the rear side of pulley 11, downwardly on the forward side of pulley 11 to the forward side of pulley 17, thence upwardly to the rear side. of pulley I 13 and. thence downwardly t0 the forward :"side of the left-hand end pulley 15 of the lower row of pulleys in the fixing tank E.

From the right-hand endpulley 58 of the upper row of pulleys in thefixing tank the wires extend to the right-hand end pulley 59 in the upper row of pulleys in the wash tank F. After travelling along the wash tank F from right to left (Fig. 1), the wires extend from the upperleft-hand end pulley 61 to the upper. left-hand end pulley 62 in the drying tank G. From the rear side of the right-hand end pulley 63 in the lower row in tank G the wires extend upwardly over the pulley, 47, thence to the pulley 48 and thence to the pulley 49, thus completing 3 the circuit.

at the tops of the tanks are driven by the When the longitudinal shafts motor 29, the wires 45 are caused to travel continuously around the pulleys, thus driving the skewed pulleys at the bottom of the tanks. 1 I

The mechanism for supporting the feeding magazine and for feeding film into the .apparatus, comprises a magazine-holder 64 mounted at the top of the bracket 54 and a suitable tensioning device 66. As shown in Fig. 1, the film is led downwardly fromthe feeding mechanism 64 through the tensioning device .66 and is secured to the wires 45 by means of a suitable clip 67 at a. point between the'idler pulleys 53. and 56. When the wires are put in motion the film -is'then fed downwardly over idler pulley 56 and the upper end pulley 57 in the developing tank, over the path above traced, namely, through the developing tank C, wash tank D, fixing tank E, thence backwardly through the wash tank F, and thence to the right through drying tank G. As the film comes upwardly out of the drying tank G it is preferably wound upon a take-up reel, such a reel being.

illustrated at 68 in the drawings. This reel is mounted on a bracket 69 upon which-is; alsomounted the pulley 47 and a pressur N pulley 71, the pressure pulley 71 being pivot-' ally mounted at, 72 so as to bear upon the film as it passes over the pulley 47. .By virtue of the pressure pulley 7 1, the film continues toj'be drawn out of the drying chamber, even after the leader clip' 67 has been detached from the wires 45.' As the forward end of the film emerges'from-the pulleys 47 and 7.1 it is detached from the wires 45 and attached to the. takerup reel 68. The wires 45 pass beneath the arm 73 on bracket 69 and contact with pulleys 74 and 76 mounted on the pivot arm 77 of the bracket 69 and the disk 78 of'thetake-up' reel, respectively. The pulley 74 may be an idler pulley, but the pulley 7 6 is connect? edto the disk 78 of reel 68 and a pin is pro-.

vided for connecting the disk 78 to the spool 79 when the spool is inserted in the bracket" 69 so that the take-up reel 68 is rotated by means of the wires 45, thereby to wind the film upon the take-up reel as it emerges from the drying tank.

In order to control the tensionof thefilm throughout the various tanks, when employing wire belts or cablessui-tably to tension "the cables, and to distribute the tension uniformly throughout-the" fcourse thereof, I prefer bly provide floating-weights such as illustra ed at 81,82 and 183. As s'hown in Figs. .3 and 4 these weights comprise frames sliding vertically on upright rods '84 and carrying therebelow certain of the lower obliquely disposed pulleys- For example,

the frame 81 carries the pulley 17 inthe wash tank D, the pulley thus being supported in a floating manner so that as the tension of the wires increases the pulley is The upper surface of the frame 81 is disposed horizontally so that additional weightsmay befplaced thereupon if de ired, thereby suit' lifted, thereby relieving the tension.

ably to control the tension of the belts. While any number of these tension controlling devices may be employed. the devices being distributed. uniformly along the respective tanks, I have found that three such devices disposed as illustrated are sufficientfor maintaining the tension substantially .constant'in a machine of the size herein illus-' trated.

In order to remove the major portion of the fixing solution which clings to the film as it leaves the fixing" tank E,,I preferablyprovide squeegee mechanism in thepath of the film as it leaves this tank, as shown generally at S. in Figs. 1 and From the above description it will be apparent that my improved apparatus 'afiords a number of unique advantages. It may be employed either for developing, or other- Wise treating and then drying a film or other photographic stripin an expeditious manner and in such a way that the various processes of treatment may be very accurately controlled. By virtue of the wire cables 45 the series of pulleys are uniformly and continuously driven in synchronismso that no portion of the film issubjected to undue tension. Owing to the arrangement of the various rows of compartments in parallelism, together with the improved means for conveying the film from one row' to the next; row the apparatus is'rendered exceedingly compact and convenient. Another important feature of the invention is the arrangement whereby the emulsion side of the film is maintained out of contact withall portions of the apparatus in both developing and dyeing machines. By virtue of the. oblique disposition of the pulleys at the bottom of the respective tanks the film travels smoothly over the pulleys Without tending to become buckled or distorted and Without tending to run off of the pulleys. The endless belt or cable arrangement. relieves the tension on the film and afi'ords an exceedingly convenient method of drawing the film through the apparatus. The weights :in the various compartments are so constructed and arranged as suitably to tension the belts.

throughout their entire course. The arrangement of the drying mechanism is uniquely advantageous inasmuch as a current of air or other drying medium may be circulated lengthwise along the elongate drying compartment through perforations Figs. 1 and 4, in the ends of the compartment Whereas the film is caused to .travel alon a looped path substantially in edgewise re ationship to the current of air passing through the chamber, thus allowing the drying medium to exert a maximum drying effect upon both sides of the film.

Inasmuch as this mechanism constitutes a separate invention the detailed description thereof is omitted from'this patent.

The dyeing machine B and the method 0 dyeing therewith also constitutes a separate invention the detailed description of which is also omitted from the present patent.

Other advantages of the improved apparatus will be apparent and it will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modificationsof the details of operation and construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Photographic apparatus for treating films comprising a drying chamberhaving openings at opposite sides thereof to permit the circulation of air therethrough, and

means for continuously feeding a film through the chamber with its opposite edges" film longitudinally through the chamber ina plurality of transverse loops, the chamber having, "openings arranged for circulating a current of fluid longitudinally through the chamber.

4. Photographic apparatus comprising an 7 elongate chamber, .and means for feeding a film longitudinally through the chamber in a. plurality of transverse loops so that the edges of the film are directed approximately longitudinally of the chamber, the chamber having openings arranged for circulating a current of fluid longitudinally through the chamber.

5. hotographic apparatus for treating films comprising two-or more opposed pulleys having oblique axes and having film en-'- 7 gaging surfaces in alinement, whereby a I film may be continuously fed to the first pulley, thence to the second pulley, and thence from the second pulley in a plane oblique to the axis of the first pulley.

6. Photographic apparatus for treating films comprising a plurality of opposed pulleys angularly positioned with re spect to each other in such manner that a plane through the center of one pulley will intersect the plane through the centers of the adjacent-pulleys on either side of the first pulley in lines tangent to opposite sides of the adjacent pulleys respectively.

'7. Photo-graphic apparatus for treating films comprising two rows of pulleys disposed substantially in a single plane, the pulleys of one row being arranged at an oblique angle to the pulleys in the other row so that a film moving over the pulleys is progressively advanced along the said rows in loops.

8. Photographic apparatus for treating films comprising pulleys arranged in parallel rows andhaving their centers substantially in a common plane, and the cooperating pulleys in the respective rows being obliquely arranged with. respect to each other so that a film moving over the pulleys is progressively advanced along the said rows.

9. Photographic apparatus for treating films comprising pulleys arranged in parallel rows and having their centers substantially in a commonplane, and the cooperative pulleys in the respective rows being arranged at such angles that the opposite sides of each pulley in one row are in alinement with opposite sides of adjacent pulleys'in the other row so that a film moving over the pulleys is progressively advanced along the said rows.

10. Photographic apparatus for treating films comprising two parallel rows of pulleys, the pulleys in one row being arranged in oblique and staggered relationship with respect to the pulleys in the other row, Wherby a film moving over the pulleys is progressively advanced along the said rows.

11. Photographic apparatus for treating films comprising pulleys arranged in parallel rows and having their centers substantially: in a common plane, the pulleys in one row.

ed obliquely to the longitudinal line of the chambers for guiding the film from one chamber to the succeeding chamber, whereby a film may be continuously fed through the successive chambers.

. 13. Photographic apparatus for treating films comprising a row of'chambers, pulleys for guiding a'picture stripalong a circuitous path through each chamber, and pulleys anbers for guidin gularly disposed relatively to the longitu dinal line of the chambers between the charmthe film fto and from the succeeding cham ers, whereby a film may be continuously fed through the successive chambers.

14. Photographlc apparatus for ,treating films comprising a shaft, a series of pulleys mounted on the shaft, a seriesof pulleys arranged in spaced relation toithe shaft, the axis of each of the spaced pulleys being obliqueto the axis of the shaft, and means for rotating thepulleys whereby-"a film may be caused to travel over the pulleys'and to progress along a pathcomprisinga series of I engagement therewith, andmeans for drivloops.- .b A a 15. Photographic apparatus for'treating films comprisin ayrow of fluid chambers,

means to cause't e film tq;progress the, chambers in transverseiloops, and; p'idle'r pulleys mounted between the chambers in oblique relationship to the longitudinalline of the chambers for continuously guitling the film from-the looped path of'one'chamher to the looped pathiof thenex-t chamber. 16. Photographlc' apparatuscompfising a series of pulleys arrangedg along a path so that a film may traveltherealongin-a series of transverse loops, abelt extending over the -pulleys in driving engagement therewith, and means for. driving the belt, thereby'to drive the series of pulleys.

"22; Photographic apparatus comprising a plurality. of'film-treating compartments, a

17.. Photographic apparatus comprising a series of pulleys-arranged transversely along a film path so that a lm may travel therealong, the pulleys having film-engaging surfaces and separate belt-engaging surfaces, a

belt extending over the ,pulleys in fingagement with the belt-engaging surfaces, and means for driving the belt, thereby to drive Y the pulleys so as to feed a film thereover.

\ 18. Photographic.apparatus comprising a series of pu eys arranged'transversely in a plurality of rows so that a film. may travel continuously thereover, a belt extending succes'sively around the pulleys inthe respective rows in driving engagement therewith, and means for driving the belt, thereby to drive the of pulleys so as to "feed a film thereover,

l9. Photographic apparatus comprising a series of pulleys arranged in a plurality of rows so that afilm may travel continuously thereover, alonga looped path, the film ex--.

tending first around a pulley. in one row and then around "a pulley in another row. iprogressively along the respective rows, 'a belt extending successively around the pulleys in the respective rows in driving engagement therewith, and vmeans for driving the ,belt, thereby to drive the serles of pulleys so asto feed a film tlieieover. 20. Photo raphic apparatus comprising a series of puleys arranged in a'plurality of rows so that al';film may travel continuously thereover, an end 'ss-belt-extending successi'vely around t ulleys inthe respective rows in driving gagement therewith, and meansfor'drivingthe belt,'th'ereby' to drive the series of 'pu lley s so as to feed a film thereover. i

21. Photo raphi'c'apparatus comprising a series 'of pu leys arranged in a plurality of rows sothat a film may travel continuously thereover along a looped path, the-film extending first around a pulley in one row and then arqund apulley in another row pro ressively 1 along the respective rows, an

end essbelt extending successively around the pulleys inthe respective rows in driving the belt, thereby to drive'the series of leys soas toffeed a film thereover.

nieans fordrivingthe. belt, thereby to drive the series. of. pulleys so as to-feed a film thereover. c=

23.. Photographic apparatuscomprising a plurality of film-treating compartments, a ser1es of pulleys arr'anged -in the compartbelt, thereby to drive the I, 'feed a film thereover.-

ments in a plurality of rows so that a film may travel continuously thereover, an endless belt extending successively around the pulleys in the respective compartments. in

driving engagement With the pulleys, the belt contacting alternately With the pulleys inthe respective rows and progressing along the rows, means for guiding the belt from the, end of the roWs back to the beginning of the rows, and means for dI'lViIlg the belt, thereby todrive the series of pulleys so as to feed a film thereover.

24, Photographic apparatus comprising a series of pulleys arranged along a film path so that a film may travel therealong, said pulleys having grooves'therein, a belt extending over the pulleys and being disposed in the grooves, and means for driving the feed a film thereover.

25. Photographic. apparatus comprising a series of pulleys arranged along a film path so that a film may travel th'erealong, said pulleys having grooves disposed along one side of the peripheries thereof, a belt extending over the pulleys and being disposed in the grooves, and means for driving the belt, thereby to drive the pulleys so as to feed a film thereover.

26. Photographic apparatus comprising a series of pulleys arranged along-a film pathso that a film may travel therealong, said pulleys having grooves disposed along both sides of the peripheries thereof, a belt extending over the pulleys and being disposed in the grooves, and means fordriving the belt, thereby to drive the pulleys so as to pulleys so as toalong alternate roWs of tanks in opposite directions.

28. Photographic apparatus comprising a plurality of film-treating compartments arranged in parallel rows, there being one or more compartments in each row, a series of pulleys arranged in the respective compartments so that a film may be fed along a circuitous path .thereover, and an endless belt extending over the pulleys in the respective compartments so; as to progress along alternate rows of compartments in opposite directions, and means for guiding the belt from the end of the last compartmentto the beginning of the first dompartment.

29. Photographic apparatusfor treating films comprising van endless, film-treating belt, a plurality of pulleys arranged to carry the belt continuously therearound,

means for yieldingly urging one of the pulleys transversely of the path of the belt, and yielding means engaging the belt for maintaining the tension of the belt not Withstanding transverse movement of said one pulley.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 3rd day of December, 1917. a

-WlllLLllAM BURTON WESCOTT. 

